Going to Hell for Bernie

I’m exhausted.  I’m busy.  I work so hard, as a female member of the 99%, and I don’t feel like coming home and summoning up the eloquence to write a blog tonight.  But, I’m also pissed off.  You know:  ANGRY.  And I am therefore compelled to write this tonight.

I am an ardent supporter of Bernie Sanders.  He has been a hero of mine since way back when he was mayor of Burlington, Vermont.  I love his ideals.  I love what he stands for and how he stands for it.  Until today, I also had a lot of respect for Hillary Clinton.  A long time ago, I used to think she was just about power and ambition, and not about ideals.  Then I came to believe that she actually did stand for things—good things—and not only that, she’s smart and experienced and a damn eloquent speaker and she, somewhere along the way, earned my respect.  Today, she lost it again.  For good.  Oh, I will vote for her in the general election if she’s the nominee of my party, don’t worry.  But before today, I would have done so with great enthusiasm.  After today, I will just do it, like I did for Barack Obama twice, and for John Kerry.  The last presidential election I was truly excited about was 2000.  And I’m excited again now, for Bernie—and only for Bernie—thanks to the Clinton campaign’s dogged determination to profoundly insult female Bernie voters.

First up to the plate, apparently as sort of a warm-up act, we had Gloria Steinam.  Now, I’m not sure if this opening act was sanctioned by the Clinton Camp or not, so in fairness, she may not have been acting as a Clinton surrogate, as I am 100% sure the next two people and statements I’m going to describe after the Gloria incident clearly were.  Gloria got interviewed by Bill Maher and decided to opine that young women are only voting for Bernie because they are thinking, quote:  “Where are the boys?  The boys are with Bernie.”  Now, folks, I am just going to let that one speak for itself, because that is just the kindling for my fire tonight.  It is not the reason I am taking time I don’t have, energy I don’t have and facing facts I don’t want to face, just to write this.  No, that would be because definite surrogates of the Clinton campaign:  Bill Clinton, speaking on Hillary’s behalf, and then Madeleine Albright, speaking on Hillary’s behalf with Hillary right there cheering her on, no less, have said things that are so offensive that I am DONE.  DONE with respecting Hillary, done with sticking up for her, finito.

Let’s start with Bill.  He is going around saying that Bernie’s campaign is engaging in sexist attacks against Hillary.  This is simply NOT the truth.  In fact, Bernie has said that if any of his supporters are posting anything sexist against Hillary (which, as anyone who has the slightest understanding of the internet realizes, he has no control over), he not only does not condone it and requests that they stop, but he doesn’t want their support.  You can’t be any clearer AGAINST sexism in the campaign than that.

Now we move on to what has spurred my complete outrage:  Madeleine Albright.  Former Secretary of State.  Current Clinton campaign spokesperson.  Someone I have met.  Someone I had great respect for.  Someone who completely lost ALL my respect with ONE comment today, and also—taken in tandem with the Steinem shocker and the Bill artful smear—managed to make me lose respect for Hillary, which Hillary had built up from basically where I’ve been SHOT back to today, which is nil.  I have no respect for her.  In fact, I now have active contempt for her.

For you see, Madeleine Albright decided to say that women who don’t support Hillary have “a special place in hell”.  Yep.  You read that right.  I decided to listen to the comment myself on video this afternoon, since I couldn’t believe I had heard it reported correctly, or in context, on CNN’s early news this morning.  CNN had reported that she said young women who support Bernie have a special place in Hell.  What she actually said, at first blush, does sound a lot better:  women who don’t support other women have a special place in hell.  HOWEVER, if you listen to the entire thing in context, it was clearly and solely in the context of saying women should support Hillary.  There is absolutely no mistaking her meaning:  Madeleine Albright definitely, clearly, unmistakably meant that women who don’t support HILLARY have, quote, “a special place in hell.”

Folks, there is really no way, and thankfully, no need, to put into words just how offensive this is to me as a woman who supports Bernie.  As a Democrat.  As someone who has stuck up for Hillary to my fellow Bernie supporters throughout this campaign.  As someone who has admired Madeleine Albright for decades.  I’m done.  I’m done trying to bring the party together.  I’m done trying to bring progressives together.  I’m done sticking up for Hillary.  Why would I stick up for someone who claps when her surrogate says I have a special place in hell?

Do they honestly think that is the way to win female Bernie voters over?  By condemning us?  By insulting us?  By saying we have a special place in hell?  My mom always told me, “You catch more flies with honey.”

But these people evidently think bullying will work.  They think fire and brimstone condemnation will work.  They think playing the vagina card will work.  Well, I am not voting for someone just because they are a woman, I’m voting for the person whose POLICIES help women, men, children, the elderly, the environment, the economy, our country and the world.  That person is Bernie.  He steadfastly sticks to the issues, the substance, and refuses to engage in personal attacks.  He doesn’t insult my intelligence.  So who is the true feminist?  He doesn’t bully and threaten me with going to hell.  So who is the true feminist?  His policies would really challenge the patriarchy, so who is the true feminist?

I tend to vote for those who don’t tell me I have a special place in hell reserved for me.  I tend to vote for those who are respectful and respectworthy.